Fig and Walnut Biscotti

Biscotti Recipe from Italian Desserts by Maria Bruscino Sanchez

Dec 16, 2008 Liliana Tommasini

Sweet Maria's Italian Desserts by Maria Bruscino Sanchez is a delightful baking cookbook showcasing classic & casual Italian desserts for all occasions.

Traditional, Classic and Holiday Italian Desserts

Maria Burscino Sanchez shares her classic, casual and holiday family Italian desserts in Sweet Maria's Italian Desserts baking cookbook. Following the Introduction to ingredients, equipment and basic baking techniques are nine chapters on Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Tarts, Pastry, Sweet Breads, Frozen Desserts, Fruit Desserts, Other Favourites and a chapter dedicated to Dessert Sauces.

The recipes are well written, easy to follow and include favourite Italian desserts such as Traditional Cannoli, Sicilian Cassata, Tiramisu, Rum Sponge Cakes and the festive Christmas Tart (Crostata di Natale) with a sweet cranberry and walnut filling.

The Fig and Walnut Biscotti, one of the Italian fig cookies recipes found in the Cookies chapter, are a wonderful blend of fig and walnuts scented with cinnamon. This is one of the best biscotti recipes to make any time of the year and especially for holiday-gift giving.

Fig and Walnut Biscotti Recipe

‘Perfect dunked in wine or espresso, these hearty biscuits have a shiny professional look from the beaten egg brushed on top. Because they stay fresh for so long, they’re the perfect cookie to bake and keep in the cookie jar.’ – Maria Bruscino Sanchez

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup walnut halves
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried figs
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 375°F

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, walnuts and figs. Stir until blended. Make a well in the centre.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs and vanilla with a wire whisk. Add the eggs to the well. Stir with a wooden spoon. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is blended.
3. Divide dough in half. Roll into two loaves, about 12 inches long. Place the loaves on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart.
4. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on top of the fig and walnut loaves.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven.
7. Carefully remove hot fig and walnut loaves from the cookie sheet and place on a cutting board. While warm, slice the loaves diagonally into ½-inch-wide slices.
8. Place slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove cookies sheet from the oven. Cool fig and walnut toasted biscotti on wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet Maria's Bakery

Maria is the owner of Sweet Maria's Bakery located in Conneticut where she and her family bake Italian desserts daily and offer all occasion cakes, cookie trays and corporate gifts.

Fig and Walnut Biscotti Recipe from SWEET MARIA’S ITALIAN DESSERTS, by Maria Bruscino Sanchez. Copyright © 2008 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press, LLC.

• Sweet Maria's Italian Desserts
• Softcover,159 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, LLC
• ISBN 0-312-24133-X 51495
• Author: Maria Bruscino Sanchez
• Price: $14.95US/$22.99CAN

The copyright of the article Fig and Walnut Biscotti in Italian Cuisine is owned by Liliana Tommasini. Permission to republish Fig and Walnut Biscotti in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fig and Walnut Biscotti

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